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The Best Episodes of The First 48 Season 12

Every episode of The First 48 Season 12 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The First 48 Season 12!

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The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The First 48 Season 12 Episode 1 - Pointless/Set Up
    7.3/10(26 votes)

    #1 - Pointless/Set Up

    S12:E1

    In Birmingham, Detective Chris Anderson investigates the gruesome murder of a woman who is shot to death and then set on fire. Anderson hunts down his suspects, but it's the victim's family that reveals a final, disturbing twist in the case. In DeKalb County, Detective Joe Renaud is working the homicide of a father of four, gunned down outside an apartment complex on the east side of town. Without little to go on, Renaud and his team must put the pieces of this puzzle together to track down the killer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 2 - Love Kills/Justified
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #2 - Love Kills/Justified

    S12:E2

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 3 - Ultimate Price
    8.5/10(19 votes)

    #3 - Ultimate Price

    S12:E3

    In Miami, a good Samaritan is shot dead while intervening in a robbery. Det. TC Cepero is forced to resort to a needle-in-a-haystack search for the getaway car, and for the homeless woman who may have seen the killer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 4 - Hot Lot/Blind Faith
    8.1/10(27 votes)

    #4 - Hot Lot/Blind Faith

    S12:E4

    In Birmingham, Lead Det. Henry Lucas and the Birmingham Homicide Team are trying to solve the mystery of how a young man ended up shot in the back in the middle of a scrap yard. With no witnesses, Lucas hopes the victim's friends can lead him to the killer. In DeKalb County, Lead Det. Lynn Shuler and the Major Felony Unit are called to a motel where a woman has been found dead. The case takes a dark turn when the team learns that a man was in the room shortly before the woman died, but had since disappeared.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 5 - Missing
    7.4/10(24 votes)

    #5 - Missing

    S12:E5

    In Harris County, Deputy Mario Quintanilla and his team are investigating the mysterious disappearance and possible murder of a 20-year-old single mother. After days of searching and only a bloody, abandoned car as evidence, Investigators needs to retrace her final steps to solve the mystery.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 6 - The Killer Speaks
    7.8/10(23 votes)

    #6 - The Killer Speaks

    S12:E6

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 7 - Deadly Encounter/Car Trouble
    7.7/10(19 votes)

    #7 - Deadly Encounter/Car Trouble

    S12:E7

    A janitor is stabbed to death in Miami; a Birmingham pedestrian is killed after fixing a car for his friend.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 8 - Down in Overtown/Breaking Point
    8.8/10(10 votes)

    #8 - Down in Overtown/Breaking Point

    S12:E8

    In Miami, a young father is gunned down after a night of gambling. Detective Emiliano Tamayo has to figure out who would have killed him over twenty dollars. Then in Dallas, a child's birthday party turns deadly. The investigation becomes even more urgent when Detective Leo Gonzalez discovers the killer may be on the way to Mexico.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 9 - Tiny Dancers/Right Hand Man
    7.4/10(18 votes)

    #9 - Tiny Dancers/Right Hand Man

    S12:E9

    In DeKalb County, a keyboardist for a local church is gunned down in his home. Detective Lynn Shuler uncovers a web of lies that ultimately puts him on the path of the killers. Then, in Miami, rookie Detective Mario Gonzalez responds to a call about a man found shot dead in an abandoned car. Just as the case is about to run cold, a witness comes forward that shatters the case wide open.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 10 - Under One Roof/Off Target
    7.7/10(13 votes)

    #10 - Under One Roof/Off Target

    S12:E10

    In Dallas, Detective Brian Tabor investigates the brutal stabbing of a man found in a vacant apartment. Now, detectives need a woman who may have lured him to his death, to come clean. Then in Birmingham, a wild gunfight leaves an innocent young man dead. Detective Jody Jacobs is on the hunt for two shooters and needs to determine who fired the first shot.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 11 - Bad Attitude/Collateral Damage
    8.5/10(13 votes)

    #11 - Bad Attitude/Collateral Damage

    S12:E11

    Mike Smith and Walley Everett investigate the murder of a 23-year-old mother found burned in the backyard of an abandoned house.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 12 - Cold Light of Day
    7.8/10(27 votes)

    #12 - Cold Light of Day

    S12:E12

    An out-of-state truck driver is found dead in the cab of his rig; Texas investigators probe the murder of an exotic dancer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 13 - Far From Home/Object of Desire
    7.6/10(33 votes)

    #13 - Far From Home/Object of Desire

    S12:E13

    An unarmed man is gunned down outside a bar; a woman is found bludgeoned to death in her apartment.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 14 - Unarmed/Bad Feeling
    8.0/10(27 votes)

    #14 - Unarmed/Bad Feeling

    S12:E14

    Two friends are shot, then burned inside the trunk of a car

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 15 - Brutal Business
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #15 - Brutal Business

    S12:E15

    A woman is murdered in front of her daughter during a home invasion in Harris County, Texas; a Dallas teen runs into serious trouble while trying to sell a gun.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 16 - A Simple Plan/The Rip-Off
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #16 - A Simple Plan/The Rip-Off

    S12:E16

    An unarmed Miami man is shot in the back; three friends in Cleveland leave a party, but one of the group ends up dead.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 17 - Less Than Zero/Friends for Life
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #17 - Less Than Zero/Friends for Life

    S12:E17

    An unarmed Miami man is shot in the back; three friends in Cleveland leave a party, but one of the group ends up dead.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 18 - House of Pain/Into the Night
    7.6/10(23 votes)

    #18 - House of Pain/Into the Night

    S12:E18

    When a friendly house party turns into a double murder, the only female homicide detective in Cleveland has to piece together what went wrong. In Harris County, a hardworking father stops off for a drink after work and ends up the victim of a robbery gone bad.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 19 - Shattered
    7.9/10(26 votes)

    #19 - Shattered

    S12:E19

    In Dallas, a well loved man is discovered in his apartment on a bed of broken glass. With only fragments of clues the homicide team zeros in on a suspect, but nothing is what it seems.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 20 - Massacre in Little Haiti/Exposed
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #20 - Massacre in Little Haiti/Exposed

    S12:E20

    A massacre outside a corner store leaves two dead and two clinging to life. With no witnesses, Miami detectives hope the surviving victims live to tell who pulled the trigger. In Cleveland, a man is found strangled in his apartment. Detectives go on the hunt for one of his friends and uncover a shocking motive.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 21 - Deadly Ride/Wrong Place, Wrong Time
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #21 - Deadly Ride/Wrong Place, Wrong Time

    S12:E21

    Detectives embark on a four-state manhunt to find the killer of a Cleveland driver; Miami police need citizens to loosen their lips and help them solve a murder.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 22 - Father and Son / Dangerous Attraction
    7.4/10(22 votes)

    #22 - Father and Son / Dangerous Attraction

    S12:E22

    A Miami homicide team investigates the shooting death of a kindly father. Detectives investigate the murder of a Dallas man shot in his sleep, uncovering the shocking story of his girlfriend's dark past.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 23 - Murder in Pleasant Grove
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #23 - Murder in Pleasant Grove

    S12:E23

    In Dallas, a dismembered body is found burned in an open field. With no leads on the victim’s identity, detectives turn to the public for help in solving this baffling case.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 24 - Innocent Bystander/Partners in Crime
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - Innocent Bystander/Partners in Crime

    S12:E24

    Surveillance video of a fatal stabbing at a Texas strip mall leaves a policeman with more questions than answers; a Dallas man is shot to death in his living room.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The First 48 Season 12 Episode 25 - Blood Red/Deadly Moves
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #25 - Blood Red/Deadly Moves

    S12:E25

    Two Dallas men on their way to visit family are gunned down; a police detective searches for a burglar who strangled a Cleveland preacher.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 12 Ratings Summary

"Pointless/Set Up" is the best rated episode of "The First 48" season 12. It scored 7.3/10 based on 26 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/8/2011. This episode is rated 7.3 points higher than the second-best, "Love Kills/Justified".